The film I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) is one of the Depression Era (1930 – 1940) films that featured the social classes and other social issues and challenges faced at the time. Notably, the film features the aspect of classes as illustrated by the likes of James Allen, who is categorized as being under the low-income category and was in need of a source of income being a veteran. On the other hand, social class is also illustrated in the manner in which there are those that have power and rich and those that did not have any form of power, and those in power decided their fate (Davis, 2010). This is illustrated when Paul Muni is tricked and ended up participating in a restaurant hold up and ended up landing ten years in jail under hard labor. Notably, those that had money and power were viewed as being better since they could decide the fate of an individual even if it meant jail.
The characters represented in the film relate to The Horatio Alger myth which is an important aspect of self-image of America as a capitalist democracy. This is exemplified by the struggles Paul goes through while trying to make ends meet and having to go through the correctional system having been sentenced. This is similar to the film Gold Digger (1933) which illustrates the extent individuals go to make ends meet even if it means betraying their moral standing. The point being passed across by the producer of the film was on the negative impact that the class separation had on further bringing about social inequality and sinking the economy further into depression. The problems faced by the lower class, including the main protagonist who is sentenced to jail, is a result of the decisions and actions of those of the high-income category (Davis, 2010). Those with power seek to limit the possibilities and the options accessed by those in the lower class while seizing the chance to immerse wealth while sinking the country into further depression. For instance, the decision to jail Paul despite being a veteran is an illustration of the impact that the decisions made by those in power further contributed to the social and economic challenges faced during this era.
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References
Davis, D. A. (2010). I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang! and the materiality of Southern depravity. Mississippi Quarterly , 63 (3), 399-417.
